How Medicinal Is Medicinal Marijuana?

Caroline Judge
Writing Workshop
Professor Plunkett
October 26, 2016

How Medicinal is Medicinal Marijuana?

Somewhere right now, a cancer patient isn’t receiving one of the most effective medications to treat the side effects of chemotherapy, an extensive treatment to diminish the growth of cancer cells. Marijuana is still considered an illegal substance on the federal level, though twenty-five states have legalized it because it has been shown to be highly effective. The side effects of chemotherapy include chronic nausea, vomiting, pain, and mood changes. The different components of marijuana can be separated and used in two forms of medicine, psychoactive and non-psychoactive. Psychoactive, the mind stimulating form of marijuana and non-psychoactive marijuana, the type of marijuana that doesn’t cause a change in state of mind have been proven to reduce serious side effects of cancer and chemotherapy.

The most common form of marijuana is used to produce a psychoactive effect. Psychoactive marijuana refers to the property of a “chemical agent that crosses the blood-brain barrier and alters brain function” (Rojas 54). This is what most recreational marijuana smokers use to get high off of. Marijuana contains Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC, which is a biologically active substance. Essentially, this is what causes the feeling of being high and the mind-altering state marijuana puts people in. This high consists of “changes in perception, cognition, mood, and behavior” (Rojas 54). While psychoactive marijuana is smoked, inhaled, and digested is most commonly recreational, psychoactive effects of medicinal marijuana help relieve side effects that chemotherapy causes. Some of the most severe side effects of chemotherapy are pain, nausea, vomiting, and drastic mood changes. While patients are often prescribed dozens of pills to help minimize the side effects of chemotherapy, that method of pain and illness management is not as effective. Many of the medicines have negative side effects. Recently, as more states are legalizing medicinal marijuana studies have shown that marijuana has “yielded promising results for the therapeutic value as treatment for serval health conditions” (Rojas 59). As medicinal marijuana continues to be researched and tested, THC is being prescribed more often and is showing serious success.

A story of success with the use of psychoactive medicinal marijuana isn’t uncommon. One of these stories belongs to Jeff Moroso, a colon cancer survivor. In 2013, he had surgery on his large intestine to remove the cancer. After the surgery, Jeff Moroso and his oncologist discussed what the future would hold for treatment, which included twelve rounds of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy was successful in destroying the cancer cells in his body, what he went through afterwards was strenuous. Moroso was prescribed “ondansetron (Zofran) and prochlorperazine (Compazine) for nausea, and lorazepam (Ativan) for anxiety and insomnia” (Friger). While these were powerful in treating the side effects of chemotherapy, these drugs produced their own side effects too. In Moroso’s case, they caused serious headaches and gastrointestinal issues, causing more prescriptions to treat these side effects. Moroso’s doctor “recommended three over-the-counter medications for constipation and one for diarrhea, as well as ibuprofen for pain” (Friger). The amount of prescription and nonprescription drugs that Moroso had been instructed to take should have left him feeling better. Instead, “The prescription drugs just made him feel worse” (Friger). Eventually, Moroso took matters into his own hands and researched what cannabis, which contains THC could do for chemotherapy. After consulting with his doctor, he was prescribed medicinal marijuana. His prescription was “coffee beans infused with 5 milligrams of cannabis, a low dose that he took when he felt he had to” (Friger). This was an effective method for Moroso. After half a dozen rounds of chemotherapy, he got rid of all the drugs he was prescribed and just kept the medicated coffee beans. Moroso describes his experience of the coffee beans after chemotherapy as therapeutic, “I would get blasted on the stuff and be happy as a clam, no problems” (Friger). A simple and herbal remedy was able to release excruciating pain and side effects from chemotherapy, and the drugs prescribed for it.